You’ll Never Guess How Much This Rare Masters Badge Just Sold For
There is a rare Masters badge that was auctioned off recently for BIG money! A badge from the first Masters, or as it was called in 1934, The Augusta National Invitation Tournament, just sold for over $470,000. It wasn’t just a ticket to the first Masters, it was also signed by the first Masters winner Horton Smith as well as golf legends like Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen.
The Story Behind The Rare Masters Badge
So how was this rare Masters badge even found in the first place? Well according to an article in Golf Digest, it really is a miracle. There aren’t a lot of badges from the 1934 tournament still in tact. In fact there are only three known to exist. One was sold to a private collector for over $600,000 back in 2022, and Augusta National has the other one.
This rare Masters badge was in the possession of a Carolina couple. The badge had been passed down to them and they really weren’t big golf fans so they decided to sell the badge. The badge had a reserve bid of $40,000, however it went for way more than that. The exact number was $470,857, which made it the second highest ticket to a sporting event ever auctioned off. A ticket to Jackie Robinson’s first Major League Baseball game holds the record.
So who bought this rare Masters badge? It was Marcus Burnell of The Azalea House, which is a Masters hospitality house. Marcus has put together quite a collection of golf memorabilia, including Masters badges. I think it’s pretty cool that a ticket to the Augusta National Invitation Tournament, aka The Masters, just sold for over $470,000, and it’ll stay in Augusta, pretty much right across the street from the place the first tournament took place.
